ZUMREED X2 Hybrid Headphones/Speakers

CES treasures continue to trickle in, and I wish I had stumbled across these X2 Hybrid Headphones from ZUMREED while I was at the show because I would have really liked to hear how they sounded. What makes them unique is that they actually double as either a pair of headphones, or a pair of desktop speakers. As you can see in the photo the outside of the earcups feature an exposed speaker cone, so it’s not like the 40mm drivers on the inside have to do double duty which is good. They only output about 0.5 watts which obviously isn’t booming, but for use at your desk when listening to music they’re probably more than adequate.

In speaker mode the headphones run off a built-in rechargeable battery that’s good for about 4 hours of use on a 1 hour charge, which means the X2’s are probably a little heavier than your standard over-the-ear headphones. But apparently the sound isn’t too shabby so it might be worth the tradeoff for the added functionality. The X2 Hybrid Headphones are expected to be available closer to May for around $165.

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